Flux
by Shade Penn
Summary: Third installment of the Hope Series. After escapng the Decepticons, Maverick collapses due to energon loss and is found by the 'Bots and taken to the Ark. There he learns to overcome his trauma. That includes not flinching at every yellow mech he sees.
1. Chapter 1

Maverick _knew_ he should've done something to close up the wound he'd inflicted on the Decepticon emblem that marred one of his hands, but _noooo_, he had to be impulsive and not give a damn about the consequences.

Had becoming a mech make him stupid or something? Had something gone wrong when he was forced of his human body? A slight shudder ran through his frame as the ghosting feelings of electricity and pain flashed in his mind.

If so though, the only thing he could feel good about (besides finally punching Drag Strip in the faceplate. That felt pretty good actually) was that he'd deprived them of their 'stress relief' and had taken away whatever secrets his body held.

Like how the hell they had been able to turn a human into a robot in the first place.

Since he had no human body to go back to though, he could kiss normalcy goodbye. He wanted to blame it all on bad luck and horrible timing, but seeing that glided cage he was put in implied that it took time and effort to make it. Once he saw his nickname plastered on the thing, it also became terrifyingly clear to him that Drag Strip had specifically picked him apart from any other human.

It was also a sad thing to admit that he had forgotten his 'real' name after being called 'Maverick' by everyone, even when he _still_ had been a human. He knew it either started with 'E' or 'A', and that it was synonymous with 'everlasting.'

That he was absolutely sure of since the irony was not lost on him. _He_ was now 'everlasting.'

Maverick was brought out of his dark reverie by a soft thud and it took him a moment to realize that he had fallen to his knees due to energon loss. _'Heh, didn't know it was possible for a mech to die like this.'_ He though cynically as his optics offlined.

* * *

><p>Maverick could barely remember what it felt like to be held so gently, but it was enough to make him believe that he could almost be safe.<p>

Almost.

He peeked through his optics only a little bit at the arms holding him, but were mercifully not yellow. Because of Drag Strip he'd pretty much come to hate the color yellow. Ironic that a color that was supposed to be cheerful could make him so angry.

He felt someone patching his hand and his optics blearily open wider to stare into a blue visor and his optics closed.

He could distinguish 'Bots from 'Cons mostly by their optic color and he's never seen a 'Con with blue optics, let alone a visor.

_'I just hope they don't think I'm a 'Con.'_

_Why would they?_ That logical part of his mind whispered. _Your optics are blue. A very light blue at that._

_'My human eyes.'_ He thought.

The arms holding him stiffened as he heard whoever was holding him speak. "'Aid, his legs."

"I see it." A sympathetic voice said softly.

It took all Maverick had not to recoil and react at the hands gently pulling his knees apart. It was ironic; this was the first time he'd ever had his _gently_ forced apart, not counting the one and only willing time he'd spread his legs for Dead End. He also had to remind himself that the 'Bots _wouldn't_ do anything like that to him.

He heard a shocked gasp from the second mech. "This mech has no proper panel!"

"You mean he's someone's…?" The first mech trailed off darkly.

"It seems that way." The second voice answered sadly.

Even when weakened and hapless, Maverick hated pity.

The second voice continued on. "Though if he's here, he must have been escaping…or he was dumped here. Now, we're gonna need help transporting him back to base…"

Maverick couldn't hold onto consciousness anymore as he slipped into the first peaceful oblivion that wouldn't end up with him wanting to die.


	2. Chapter 2

When Maverick awoke, he was immediately blinded by the bright orange ceiling, which left him with a feeling of triumph. Even more so when he remembered _how_ he had gotten to the Autobot's base. The feeling quickly left though when he thought about the fact that any bot who was a medic would either ask him to explain _why_ he was out in the forest…and about the makeshift panel.

A deadened feeling formed in his spark the same way it had when he had still been a human in Drag Strip's 'care.' The only good thing was that the yellow mech was probably raging about his 'pet' attacking him and having managed to escape.

Fear though quickly formed along with the dread. There was no doubt in Maverick's mind that it was a matter of _when_ the Decepticons discovered he was gone, rather than _if_ they found out he was gone. He for one though was not going to squander Dead End's help by letting himself get captured by the 'Cons again.

He couldn't have fought back before when he was with them, but now that he was free, he sure as hell was _going_ to fight back to _avoid_ being caught again. Since really, if he got caught, he was going to get hurt physically as well as mentally anyway.

Maverick heard the whoosh of the door opening and when he looked up, his blue optics met the same blue visor from the mech that had patched up his hand in the forest. Maverick stared at him awkwardly, what was he supposed to say? He usually just kept as quiet and tried to remain as invisible as he could on the Nemesis, but this was out of his depth.

'_Great, now I can't even _talk_ to others regularly. Damn those 'Cons, and damn Drag Strip!'_ Maverick thought angrily.

He was surprised though when the red and white visored mech smiled at him, genial and warm; a smile that spoke of no ulterior motive or underlining desire to hurt him. "Hello." The mech said gently.

Maverick was actually left speechless on account of the fact the mech was being _polite_ to him. It had stupefied him, which was rather sad when he thought about it. It also made him think about how just how long he had been on the Nemesis. He had stopped counting after a month went by.

The visored mech continued speaking after Maverick had just stared at him. "It may sound rude, but are you unable to talk?"

Maverick blinked. _'He'd right, that would have sounded rude if he had phrased it the other way.'_ He thought. "Yes, I can talk." He said quietly. "You're an Autobot, right?" He knew the answer, but he just wanted to be sure.

The mech nodded; then paused. "Well, technically, I'm a Protectobot."

Maverick blinked again. Close enough. "I'm Maverick."

This time, the other mech's visor flashed dark for a moment in a blink. "That's…an unusual designation for an Autobot."

Maverick had to stop himself from laughing. The thought of laughing quickly died when he realized that this mech must have been serious. Factions usually identified one another by their optics color, right? "I'm not…I'm…" he trailed off uneasily. He had to think on his feet to let it down easily that he had been a human once. "I've always been on earth. The…humans I was with before just called me 'Ricky' for short."

The mech's visor brightened. "You've always been on earth? Like Skyfire?"

Maverick had to think of who that was before he nodded tentatively. "Yeah, sorta." He paused for a moment. "Uh, what your na…designation?"

The mech looked visibly embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm First Aid." He said smiling.

"First Aid." Maverick repeated and looked down at his patched up hand. The Decepticon decal nowhere in sight thankfully. "It suits you. And…thank you for patching me up."

Now First Aid just looked both bashful and uncomfortable. "There's also the matter of how you ended up in the forest-"

Before the mech could finish, the door opened and all Maverick saw was a yellow mech before he let out a terrified screech and fell off the medical berth he was on.


End file.
